Gearing for washing-machines.



-N0- 802,056. PATENTED OCT. 17, 1905. w. NAHRWOLT.

GEARING FOR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2. 1905.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES.

INVE/VTUI? No. 802,056. PATENTED OCT. 17, 1905.

W NAHRWOLT GEARING FOR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET},

WITNESSES:

o-LmlocRAPuns. wunmamn n c UNITED STAT ES PATENT oEEroE.

WILLIAM NAHRWOLT, E EORTWAYNE. INDIANA. ASSIGNOR TO PEERLESSMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF FORT WAYNE,

INDIANA, A CORPORATION.

GEARING FOR WASHING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1905.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM NAHRWOLT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen, in the State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gearing forWashing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being'had to the accompanying drawings, which form part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to improvements in gearing for washing-machines ofthat class adapted for an alternate reversal of the agitator-shaft.

The object of my present invention is to provide an improved mechanismof simple and economical construction adapted to transform the rotarymotion of the power-shaft into an alternating motion in theagitator-shaft in washing-machines by a positive, efficient, andreliable operation.

My invention consists of a horizontal plate 7 or casting loosely mountedupon the upper end of the agitator-shaft and having its outer endprovided with a pendent stud carrying a loosely-mounted gear-wheel, afixed horizontal rack adapted for a meshing engagement with the saidgear-wheel, a gear-wheel fixed on the agitatorshaft immediately belowthe said plate and having a meshing engagement with the saidloosely-mounted gear-wheel, a rackbar pivotally mounted on the saidplate at inner end, and a horizontally-arranged powershaft mounted insuitable bearings in the said frame and carrying upon its inner end afixed pinionadapted for a meshing engagement with the said rack-bar,thereby actuating the agitator shaft through the medium of the saidgear-wheels.

The principal novel feature of my invention resides in the means foralternately reversing the direction of rotation of the agitator-shaft.

Similar reference-numerals indicate like parts in the several views ofthe drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improvedreversing mechanism with the power-shaft broken partly away. Fig. 2 is aplan of the same, showing a portion of the supportingframe and of thehorizontal plate upon which i the pivoted rack-bar is fulcrumed aspartly broken away. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail of in its upperand'lower adjustments and also showing the relative arrangement of theactuating-pinion and of the oppositely-arranged limiting-lugs on thesupporting-frame. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of the forward end ofthe-pivoted rack-bar with which the powershaft pinion forms an actuatingengagement.

The upright supporting-frame on which my improved mechanism isoperatively mounted consists 'of a base-plate 1, whose forward upturnedend 2'is provided with a bearing 2 for the power-shaft 3 and anoverhanging arm 1, having a bearing 5, for the power-shaft 3 and abearing 6 for the upper end of the agitatorshaft 7, which passes,vertically through the suds-box lid 8 in the usual manner. Thissupporting-frame'is provided with two vertically-alined lugs 9 and 10,adapted to limitthe vertical play of the free end of the pivotedsector-like rack-bar 11, having a plurality of teeth or pins 12 unitedat their outer ends by the curved plate 13 and having its inner faceprovided with the sector extensions 14:, having theinner peripheraltracks 15, which serve as guides for the rigid pinion 16 on the innerend of the powereshaft when the rack-bar is making the turn at each endthereof to effect the desired reversal of the agitator-shaft in themanner hereinafter described.

To the rear face of the rack-bar 11 are arranged the fixed or integraland approximately parallel arms 17, whose free ends are loosely mountedon the extended ends of the pin 18, which is transversely arranged inthe central portion of the plate 19. This plate or casting 19 has nearits forward end an upright integral sleeve 20, loosely mounted on theupper portion of the agitator-shaft 7, and is provided upon its lowerface with the pendent stud 21, on which is rotatably mounted thehorizontal gear-wheel 22, which is in mesh with the curved rack 23,rigidly secured to the lid 8 or other suitable support.

On the agitator-shaft 7, directly below the plate 19, is rigidly fixedthe gear-wheel 24, normally in mesh with the gear-wheel 22, Figs. 1 and2.

The operation of my invention thus described is obvious and, brieflystated, is as follows: When continuous rotation is imparted the pivotedrack-bar broken away and shown' to the power-shaft by the usual or otherproper means, a correspondingly uniform oscillatory movement is impartedto the rack-bar 11 through its engagement with the power-shaft pinion16, which traverses first one face of the rack-bar 11 and then theother, as shown in dotted outline in Fig. 3, beingguided in rounding theends of the rack-bar by the curved tracks 15, the disengagement of thesaid rackbar from its actuating-pinion being at all times prevented bythe lugs 9 and 10, which securely limit the vertical play of therack-bar in use, the oscillatory movements of the rack-bar 11 thusdescribed causing a like movement of the rear end, the plate 19 carryingwith it the gear-wheel 22, which is thereby forced to travel back and inits meshing engagement with the fixed rack 23, which movement in turncorrespondingly actuates the agitatorshaft 7 through the medium of therigid gearwheel 24 thereon. My improved reversing mechanism is thussimple, efficient, positive, and reliable in operation and has but smallliability of getting out of repair. Obviously the speed of the machinecan readily be adjusted by a proper regulation of the relative sizes ofthe gear-wheels 22 and 24.

In my invention should any part become broken or lost in use it canreadily and conveniently be replaced by a merely nominal expense.

Having thus described my invention and the manner of operating the same,what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a gearing forwasl1ing-macl1ines,asupport; a curved rack fixed thereto; an uprightagitator-shaft in cooperative relation with the said rack; a horizontalplate loosely mounted on the agitator-shaft and provided witha pendentstud; a gear-wheel loosely mounted upon the said stud and having ameshing engagement with the said rack; a gear-wheel fixed upon theagitator-shaft and in mesh with the before-mentioned gear-wheel; acurved rackbar pivotally mounted on the said plate; a horizontalpower-shaft; and an actuating-pinion fixed upon the inner end of thepowershaft and adapted for a meshing engagement with the upper and lowerfaces of the said rack-bar alternately.

2. An upright agitator-shaft; a gear-wheel fixed upon theagitator-shaft; a plate loosely mounted on the agitator-shaft above thesaid an alternate meshing engagement with the upper and lower faces ofthe said rack-bar; and means for limiting the vertical play of themeshing end of the rack-bar.

3. In a washing-machine gearing, the combination of an uprightsupporting-frame; a vertical agitator-shaft rotatably mounted in theframe; a gear-wheel fixed on the agitatorshaft; a plate loosely mountedon the agitatorshaft above the gear-wheel and having a pendent stud; agear-wheel rotatably mounted on the stud in'mesh with the fixedgear-wheel; a curved rack in cooperative relation with the loosegear-wheel; a rack-bar pivotally mounted on the said plate and laterallymovable therewith; a power-shaft, afixed pinion thereon adapted for anactuating engagement with the opposite faces of the pivoted rack-baralternately; means for limiting the vertical play of the said rack-bar;and means for guiding the pinion in its turning movements upon therack-bar.

4. The combination of a vertical agitatorshaft; agear-wheel fixed uponthe shaft; a plate or casting loosely mounted on the agitator-shaft andhaving a pendent stud near its outer. end; a gear-wheel loosely mountedon the said stud in mesh with the fixed gearwheel; a curved rack incooperative arrangement with the loose gear-wheel; a rack-bar pivotallymountedon the said plate and provided with curved guides at its oppositeends; means for limiting the vertical play of the rack-bar to preventits disengagement from the actuating means in use; and a powershaft arigid pinion, thereon adapted for an actuating engagement with theopposite faces of the rack-bar alternately.

Signed by me at Fort Wayne. Allen county, State of Indiana, this 23d dayof January, A. D. 1905. I

WILLIAM NAHRWOLT.

Witnesses:

WATTS P. DENNY, AUGUSTA VIBERG.

